R.F. Staples senior boys volleyball team returned from their Sept. 13-14 tournament in Camrose with silver medals around their necks.
Competing in their second tournament of the year, the boys qualified for the championship final, said coach Steve McKenna, but ultimately dropped the match in straight sets to Wetaskiwin.
Despite the loss, McKenna said it was a good weekend for the team.
“The tournament went really well for the boys,” he said. “They had a successful weekend.”
It was not an easy road to reach the final, however. The boys played four matches during the round robin portion of the tournament on the Friday, and played another three playoff matches on Saturday.
All told, the team played seven matches, a fact McKenna said may have contributed to their loss to Wetaskiwin.
“They were a pretty tired group at that point,” he said.
In getting to the final, McKenna said the boys needed to overcome a “shaky start.”
They did that quite well, he said, explaining as the games went on the boys’ nerves started to settle and they started to play like a cohesive unit.
Being only two weeks into the season, he said there is plenty of time for the boys to come together and play consistently as a team.
“We’re still at the stage where they’re still improving their skills,” McKenna said.
The silver-medal performance in Camrose comes a week after the boys finished in sixth place at the Barrhead tournament.
Comparing the two tournaments, McKenna said the boys are improving, and he can see their potential coming to the fore.
He also said the Camrose result was a bit of a surprise, but also well in line with what he and the boys feel they can accomplish.
“I don’t think when they went there they were thinking finals,” McKenna said.
“I think they were thinking they had a chance to make the quarterfinals or semifinals. So the fact they made the finals just showed to me they do have the skill and the talent to compete.”
Next up for the boys is a trip to Spruce Grove Sept. 27-28 for their third tournament of the year.
